Skyscraper specialists, Elenberg Fraser has called on volume and spatial planning strategies employed for some of Melbourne’s tallest buildings for the design of a new mid-rise residential development in Brisbane.

The massing, façade design and materiality employed for 44 Maxwell in New Farm, Brisbane are not unlike those we’ve seen used by the firm for some of Melbourne’s most recognisable skyscrapers, but their application to medium-density is less common.

The development incorporates a new luxury five-storey apartment building and the fitout of an existing heritage Tudor-style residence on a 2,000sqm riverfront site at New Farm. Fifteen apartments have been injected into the new building, which steps down the sloped site towards the river and is embedded into the hill to mediate height appearance.

The proposal is driven by the internal planning and views of the apartments, which are articulated to capture vistas of the Brisbane River to the west and to provide privacy from neighbours.

The floorplates are a fan shape with deep concaves towards the riverfront to provide privacy between the apartments and unobstructed views for each. The floorplate design is an iteration of the bow-tie shape which we’ve seen used by Elenberg Fraser for skyscraper apartments in Melbourne and for smaller projects in Brisbane.

The western façade will also incorporate commercial-style automised façade screening technology. Operable bi-folding perforated screens will be used to protect the living areas and terraces on the western elevation while perforated solar responsive louvres will be used to provide privacy and solar protection for the bedrooms while maintaining view corridors.

All apartments include a private terrace or balcony and have access to the ground level and rooftop communal recreation areas, which includes a rooftop pool, outdoor kitchen and dining area.

UPWARDS CURVE FOR EF IN BRISBANE

The project continues Elenberg Fraser’s growth in the Brisbane property market, and the Melbourne-born firm currently has over $700 million worth of projects underway in the QLD capital.

The largest of these is the $600 million, three-tower development called FV at Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley, which is expected to reach first stage completion in 2017.

Almost a year to date, the firm announced that it had received approval from Brisbane City Council for a new 17-storey residential building at Wickham Street, also in Fortitude Valley.